A V Gopinath, a prominent leader and ex-MLA, announced his resignation from the party’s primary membership on Monday amid a schism in the Congress over the nomination of 14 presidents of the District Congress Committee (DCC). Gopinath, a member of the KPCC and past president of the Palakkad DCC, said that he was leaving his 50-year connection with the Congress party.
At a news conference today, the senior leader announced his retirement from the party, saying he did not want to be a stumbling block in the party’s growth, for which he has fought diligently for the past five decades. Gopinath’s supporters lobbied for his selection as DCC head, but the party’s leadership chose A Thankappan to represent the party in the district.
Gopinath had protested the denial of a ticket in the Assembly elections earlier this year but was persuaded by top party officials like Oommen Chandy and K Sudhakaran. Gopinath, who has widespread popularity, has claimed that he has been marginalised in the party for many years and has stated that he would not take the situation lightly.
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His resignation occurred just a day after top leaders Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala spoke out against the DCC heads being chosen by the party’s state leadership.
They claimed that no conversation with them had been placed before their selection. The list of DCC chiefs was finalised following a meeting with all leaders, including Chandy and Chennithala, said K Sudhakaran, president of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and member of Parliament, and V D Satheesan, Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly.
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